The government and Russia have indicated they would only accept a surrender by the embattled rebel forces, calling on them to agree to leave the territory. The opposition has lost 80 per cent of the eastern section of the city which it controlled.

The British-based monitoring group, The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said an army advance on Tuesday and overnight, supported by heavy air strikes and shelling, caused insurgents to withdraw from the Old City.

The Instagram account was created in late August with the initial purpose of raising awareness of life in the camp for Syrian refugees, but has become a new way for refugees to interact with the outside world.